Mama, I'm Going Home
by sunnymadden
Summary: When tragedy strikes Carla's family, Sam and the guys from the bar rally around her.
1. Chapter 1

"Sam," Carla said weeping into her home phone.

"Carla, honey, are you okay?" Sam was already worried. It wasn't like Carla to break down and cry. Especially not this hard. Her tears seemed to be streaming down the telephone wires.

"Oh, Sammy, you wouldn't believe it. Nick came by and..."

"Carla, sweetheart, you never reacted this badly to a pregnancy before."

"Will you just shut up and listen to me!" Carla was scowling. How dare he make pregnancy jokes at a time like this?

"He was drunk, Sammy. I had a little, too. He jumped into his truck and started to drive," she couldn't stop her sobs from coming. "I tried to stop him Sammy."

"What happened, honey?"

"He killed Anne Marie!"

"What?"

"He didn't see her. She was running after Lucinda to pop her one for showing the neighborhood boys her g-string and he just creamed her in the driveway. She was D.O.A by the time we got her to City Hospital."

Norm, Cliff, and Frasier looked on as Sam just stood there in disbelief. Something horrible must of happened. Sam looked like he had been sucker-punched in the gut. He felt like it as well. Carla, one of his best friends, is expieriencing something nobody would wish on their worst enemies, the death of a child.

"Where are you, hon?" Sam asks in disbelief.

"I'm at my house. My kids are a mess. Especially little Lucinda she won't even get out of bed."

"I'm coming over."

"Sammy, you got the bar and..."

"Listen, Woody will be here in a couple and I can always bring Frasier..."

"Hey, hey ,hey," Frasier got up from the bar. He didn't like being dragged into a situation he didn't even understand. Sam turned to him and motioned for him to sit down and shut up.

"I don't think Frasier would like getting involved. Lud, do not chase your brother around the house with your snake!"

For a minute Sam couldn't help chuckle at that one. A tragedy couldn't keep Carla's kids from running wild.

"Look," Carla begins again, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You think it would kill Rebecca to work for me the next couple of days for me?"

"She's got to work anyway. I don't think it would be that big of a deal to just have her switch from office to waitress. Especially with business being kind of slow."

"Hey Sam," Woody greets his boss as he walks through the door.

"Hey, Woods. Hey Carla, Woody's here. I'm coming over."

"Sam..." It was no use. He hung up the phone before she could protest.

"Fras," Sam says running to his office to grab his coat.

"Sam, what's going on? Why are we going to Carla's?"

"Nick got drunk, ran over Anne Marie, and killed her."

The whole bar gasped and looked at Sam in disbelief. Everybody in the bar was either a regular or at least a semi-regular and knew Carla and her children. Woody had tears in his eyes, Cliff turned white and speechless and Norm gulped down the rest of his beer.

"Okay, I'll go," Frasier said getting over his shock and going to the coat rack. "Those poor kids."

"Poor Carla," Sam added as he caught up with Frasier. "Watch the bar, Woody."


	2. Chapter 2

"What a dump!" Frasier remarks at Carla's white ranch house strewn with toys all over the lawn. The lawn didn't look like a prize either; the grass looked like it hadn't been cut in a month. The white paint needed a new coat and the evergreen shudders didn't help much.

"Fras," Sam says unbuckling his seatbelt. "Try not to be so judgemental."

"Right, right," he agrees, trying to regain his composure.

They hop out of the car and into the humid air. It was the middle of summer and they had been having some scorching hot days. They both were starting to sweat by the time they got up her long driveway and to the front door. Carla was already standing at the door waiting to greet them. She was wearing a red t-shirt and old, faded blue denim shorts. Her eyes were as red as her shirt and her whole face exploited the emotional strain she was under.

"Oh, guys," she cries as the door swings open. Sam picks her up into his arms while Carla wraps her legs around him. Easy there, Carla is all he can think. She cries into his shoulder and he kisses her cheek.

"Where are the children?" Frasier asks, eyeing the topsy-turvy mess known as Carla's living room.

"I made Seraphina take them all out for ice cream," Carla explains while letting Sam go. "It was the only way I could get Lucinda out of her room. For a little girl she could eat a Harlem Globetrotter under the table."

Frasier grunts as Sam lets out a chuckle. Frasier never really could get used to her crude and most of the time ignorant sense of humor.

"Oh yeah, come sit down on the sofa, here," she offers throwing the stuffed animals and playing cards where ever they may land. "I got lemonade."

"Sounds great," Sam says taking a load off.

"None for me thanks," Frasier says squeamishly as she heads into the kitchen. She pours a tall glass for her and Sam, trying to ignore the fact that she made this lemonade just for Anne Marie. It was her favorite summer treat.

_Sweet, Anne Marie, sweet girl, why?_

The tears start to stream down her face again. The memories of her little girl killing her one by one. She was a classically beautiful baby girl, with that Carla thought of a classically beautiful name. Anne Marie Rose Tortelli. She was her mother's favorite daughter. She was a nice girl who got toughened up by life. She was the one who was most heartbroken by her father's abandonement and he kills her. _Goddamnit!_

"Carla, honey, are you okay?" Sam asks running into the kitchen as soon as he heard her cry.

"Oh, Sam," she turns to him for a hug. "I loved her so much!"

"I know, I know," he says holding her tight.

"She was my angel."

"She is your angel," Sam takes her face in his hands. "I know I'm not the most religious or spiritual, but I have to believe she is still with you and God is taking care of her."

"I love you, Sam."

"I love you too, Carla."


	3. Chapter 3

"It's so sad," Rebecca says in between sobs.

"Calm down, Miss Howe," Woody says rubbing her back.

"What do I have to calm down for?" Rebecca asks while blowing her nose. "It's closing time and everybody's gone. Hell, even Norm left early."

"See? You scared the customers."

"Woody," Rebecca scuffs. "C'mon now I feel really bad for Carla. I mean she lost a child here."

"Miss Howe," Woody says wrapping his arm around Rebecca. "I know how you're feeling. I feel bad too. She was just a girl for goodness sake."

"I knew her though," she says sitting on Norm's regular bar stool. "Remember the night me and Sam babysat for Carla?"

"Yeah. You said it was scarier than _The Excorcist _and I'm sorry Miss Howe, but I don't see how that is possible," Woody says shuddering the thought. It made Rebecca chuckle a little bit. Woody was funny in the pure and naive way.

"She was the best one out of the girls though. At least she had the decency to tell Sam where his pants were after she helped the little ones put them in the oven."

Speaking of Sam, there he was knocking on the door. Woody ran to go unlock it and let him in. Rebecca noticed he looked emotionally burnt out. Why shouldn't he? After all, he and Carla had been friends since way back when.

"You guys haven't left yet?"

"We were just about to," Rebecca replied after wiping her eyes again.

"You okay, sweetheart?" He asks going around the bar to give her a hug.

"I just feel sad for Carla, Sam," she says accepting his friendly embrace.

"I know, I'm sure we all do."

"Me three," Woody says, causing Rebecca and Sam to break the hug just to stop and stare at him.

"Well, what? I just agree with you, Sam."

"I get that, Woody."

"So how is she holding up?"

That question causes Sam to take a seat. This was going to be one long, emotional explanation. Woody, too, takes a seat. He knows this has got to be interesting.

"She's broken up. Everytime you mention Anne Marie's name, Anne Marie's favorite food, whatever, just causes her to break down and cry. It's hard to watch because she likes to play tough lady and she's so good at it."

"Where's Dr. Crane? Did he help her?"

"I already took Frasier home," Sam says burying his face in his hands. "Carla told him that he was happy that the cops took Nick into custody before she could get her hands on him. She swears she will never forgive him this time."

"Anything else?" Rebecca enquires pulling a fresh tissue out of her purse.

"She's pregnant."

"What?!" Woody and Rebecca exclaim at the same time.

"Nick and her secretly got back together a couple of months ago and it goes like it goes in Carla's world."

"But I don't understand why Carla would do that. He's married and she was making herself so strong against him."

"Carla and Nick don't even understand Carla and Nick."

"You sound like you've been there before, Sam."

"I have, Woody."


	4. Chapter 4

"Mama."

Carla was shocked to find her Anne Marie standing at the foot of her bed. Could this be real? No, it couldn't be. Anne Marie died yesterday; there's no way she could be here right now.

"Mama," she says again trying to get her mother to speak.

"I'm dreaming aren't I?" Carla asks out loud. In her mind she was praying to God she wasn't. She wanted Anne Marie to tell her she woke up after all this time and she was okay. In her heart she knew it wasn't so. Her daughter's death was a cold, hard reality.

"I'm visiting you, Ma."

Carla gets up out of her bed and walks towards her. She couldn't stop staring at her beautiful daughter. Her face was glowing, her curly, dark hair was flowing and her brown eyes were sparkling. She had been wearing the same clothes she had passed away in. An orange and yellow striped tee and white short-shorts. Carla hands cupped Anne Marie's face and Carla proceeded to kiss her daughter's forhead.

"Anne Marie Rose Tortelli, I love you,"

"I love you, too, Ma. Forgive Daddy."

"Forgive Daddy! Are you nuts?!"

The six-thirty alarm went off. Cursing the clock, Carla rolled over and turned it off. She didn't want to leave Anne Marie, her sweet girl. But seriously, forgive daddy? No wonder she was held back in school a couple times! Oh no, she musn't think that way. Her daughter was an angel and so she should be treated.

"Hey, you little monsters, get up," Carla began to bark at her youngest boys.

"Why, Mama?" Jesse asked wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

"Because it's Anne Marie's services today."

"Mama," Elvis says doing the same as his twin brother.

"Yeah, El?"

"I don't want to see my sister dead."

Those words hit Carla in the stomach. Elvis didn't want to see his sister dead and she didn't want to see her daughter dead. This was going to be a long, hard day for everybody.

"Me either, Ma," Jesse's agreement had snapped Carla out of her thoughts.

"I know. I never wanted you guys to go through something like this so young," she says plopping down on their beds and giving them a hug and a kiss.

"Ma," Seraphina says in the corner of the doorway. "I wanna talk to you."

_Talk to me? Oh, boy!_

"You're pregnant again, aren't you, Ma?"

"Jeez, Seraphine, will you wait until I close the door?"

"Well, they're going to know sooner or later, ya know."

"I know," Carla starts to explain as she heads out toward her bedroom where her and Seraphina can discuss this as privately as possible. "Your dingbat stepmother thought she was going to leave your father again. So we went at it again."

"A little too much information, Ma!"

"Well, I know that's what you're going to ask me!"

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm keeping it," Carla scuffed at such a ridiculous question. "Just like the rest of all of all you guys."

"You sure?"

"Seraphina Nicole, I've already lost one child, I ain't giving up on another!"


	5. Chapter 5

It was crowded in Bosco's Funeral Home. It was the same funeral home that the Luzapone family has used in Boston since they moved from Italy. It may have been a little broke down, but it made you feel safe and cozy. There were warm, burgundy covered walls and richly deep floral drapes that hung in the windows. The floral bouquets that surrounded Anne Marie's casket were a contrast with different colored pinks, yellows and bright purples. Anne Marie herself was adorned in a pastel pink dress that happened to be from her junoir prom. Her makeup was natural with light blush, white eye shadow and a bright pink lipstick. She was gorgeous.

Carla looked at herself and her seven children who were all dressed in depressing black ensembles and wished they could be as radiant as her deceased child. She thought maybe it was a sign from God that Anne Marie was at peace and happy in his house. Then again what an awful situation he put her and her kids in. God sure did work in mysterious ways, she always knew that. Only the sight of Sam and the gang could snap her out of her deep thoughts. It wasn't long and Sam was putting her arms around her.

"Thank you for coming," Carla says trying to be strong and holding back the tears.

"How you doing, Honey?"

"Okay, I guess."

"You can do this," he says giving her a peck on the lips.

"Thanks, Sam. Hey Rebecca," she says as Rebecca flings herself onto her.

"This is so terrible," Rebecca says sobbing into Carla's shoulder.

"Hey, this is my kid, you know, bubblebutt!"

"I know," this only causes Rebecca to wail even more. Norm had to take her by the shoulders and lead her down the recption line. Norm always knew what to do to make Carla not explode.

"Thanks, Norm," Carla says wrapping her arms around him.

"No problem," he says hugging her back. "I'm very sorry, Carla."

Carla lets him go only to nod. She was going insane with emotion and didn't know when she was about to pop. Well, Cliff was next, Carla always knew she could go crazy on him, just like any other given day.

"Carla, I'm so very sorry," he says keeping his distance.

"Thanks. Hey, no wise guy stuff alright?" she asks trying to smile a little bit.

"Sure," he says trying to hug her.

"That's okay, Cliff," she says trying to get him to back off.

"Oh, uh, sorry," he says moving on.

"Hey, Mrs. Tortelli," Woody says being the last one up to greet Carla.

"Hey, thanks for coming Wood," she says giving him a hug.

"Kelly sends her condolences to you and your family."

"Tell her I said thanks."

"I sure will, Mrs. Tortelli," he says breaking the hug.

It was perfect timing because Mr. Bosco had just announced the procession was ready to start. It was time for the family to say a final prayer and a final goodbye to Anne Marie. Lucinda and Seraphina were first up. Then her sons Elvis, Jesse, Lud, Gino, and Anthony. Then it was Carla's turn. She requested to go up alone to say her final goodbye. She kneeled and cried as she said silently asked for God to please look after her baby girl and to give her strength to get through this day. She looked back at the large group of people and couldn't take her eyes off her Cheers friends, all of whom cried as she kissed her daughter for the last time and walked out the parlor door.


	6. Chapter 6

Johnny Carson shares his monolouge with America and straight into Carla's bedroom through the t.v. The children have finally gone to bed. She figures she should turn it off and get some shut eye herself. She has to go back work tomorrow, from six to close. She was happy about it. She realized how much she missed it when she saw the guys at her daughter's funeral.

Yes, she will go back to work tomorrow, and life will seem normal. She will share some jabs with Sam and Norm. Pick on Woody for being his dopey self. Pick on Rebecca for working hard at not working. Pick on Cliff and Paul for the simple fact that they breathe. Yes, it will be a good night tomorrow night.

She turns off Johnny and rolls over to look at the night sky. The moon and the stars were out. The stars were especially beautiful. They looked like diamonds shining in the black, humid sky. She liked to believe Ann Marie was sitting upon one of them, shining down on her family and friends to wish them good night.

_Ann Marie,_

I know you are with me.

I'm trying to be as happy as I can be.

I love you and miss you,

Don't worry darling, I know you do too.

Just then the phone rang. What the hell, it was the middle of the night! Who could this be?  
"Hello," Carla answers somewhat agitated.

"Carla," answers back a wimpering, ditzy voice. Carla recognizes this voice right away, it was Loretta.

"Loretta, do you know what time it is?"

"Oh, Carla. I'm so sorry to bother you," she then lets out a wail. It has to be about Nick.

"What did Nick do this time?"

"Oh, Carla, he killed himself."

Shock runs down Carla's body. She immediately hardens after the sudden blow. She has just spent all of her emotions. She can't let this news in right now. She will go insane, or was she already for all she knew?

"They found him hanging from the cell, I guess he just couldn't deal with what he'd done."

The blonde bimbo was still shooting her mouth off. She wants so bad to reach through the phone and beat her face in. Does she not understand this was the last thing she needed? She hated Nick Tortelli even more so then ever. This just proves what a coward he is. The coward he always was. He runs off while she has to deal with everything. Well, she decided she didn't have to deal with this. She got up, unplugged the phone and went to bed.


	7. Chapter 7

"Isn't today Nick's funeral?" Sam asked Carla from across the bar.

"Yeah," she says with an annoyed look on her face. She didn't want to talk or think about Nick. Lord knows she would explode.

"Well?"

"Well, nothing Sammy. I just buried my daughter the other day, I can't go through another funeral right now. I just want to focus on work. On that note, where's my Irish Kiss?"

"Right here," Sam says dipping down and giving Carla a peck on the lips. Carla can't help but giggle. Sam always knew how to make her feel better. She turns to the left to find Cliff smirking at her.

"What you smiling at, Motorhead?" she says grabbing her order.

"Eh, she's a trooper," Cliff remarks once she's out of earshot.

"Can't be easy," adds Norm after taking another swig of beer. "I can't imagine Vera commiting suicide."

"You'd be pretty heartbroken, huh, Mr. Peterson?" asks Woody, looking up from the Martini he was making.

"That and the fact she freaks out when she breaks a nail, so yeah," Norm shrugs and just continues to drink his beer.

"Hey," Rebecca sneaks from out of the office to behind the bar. "How is she?"

"She's okay," Sam says looking at Carla cleaning off table nine.

"You know I always knew she was a tough cookie, but man that woman could give Rose Kennedy a run for her money."

"I don't know, Miss Howe. Mrs. Kennedy is pretty wealthy and Carla can't get that much in tip money..."

"Woody!" Rebecca exclaims, rolling her eyes at Woody's stupidity. Woody just stands there and shrugs his shoulders. He doesn't get it, he was just making a point.

"Hey aren't those Carla's kids coming down the stairs?" Norm asks keeping his eyes open on the staircase outside.

"I believe so, Norm," replies Cliff.

All eyes are on them as soon as they walk in. Her four Tortelli children were all dressed in black and wearing sunglasses. Even though you couldn't see their eyes, you could see the sorrow and turmoil on their faces.

"Mama," Lucinda says snapping everybody out of their trance. Carla looks up from her order pad and takes a good look at her children. The sight breaks her heart. Oh, how she wished she could take their pain away. She walk up to her children with tears streaming down her face and takes all four of them in her arms. The whole bar was silent as they all looked on as their tough-as-nails waitress broke down in the arms of her children.

"We love you, Ma," Gino says with his voice breaking.

"I love you all, too," she says showering them with kisses.

"Carla," Sam says wiping a tear from his eye. Carla turns around to look at him. She had forgotten for a couple minutes where she was. She all of a sudden was a little embarrassed.

"Yeah," she breaks her group hug and tries to regain her composure.

"Take the day off."

"Sammy, but..."

"Just go, honey."

Carla turns around and motions for her kids to step outside. She heads back to the bar and gives Sam a hug.

"Thank you, Sammy."

"Don't mention it, babe."

She grabs her purse from the underneath the bar and looks up to look at everyone. They look at her in a way she never really seen before. It wasn't a fearful look, it wasn't a sarcastic, smirky look, but one of admiration and respect. She smiles at them all and says a simple goodbye as she walks out the door.


	8. Chapter 8

The snow was falling outside on Boston's cold streets. Not blizzard like conditions, but just enough to say so. It had been a somewhat mild winter season. Definately unusual for Bostonians and New Englanders alike.

It was certainly not cold in Carla's recovery room though. It was warm, cozy and most importantly, peaceful. This was the most calm and content she has been since that terrible summer. All that grieving she had done over Ann Marie, then Nick and on top of it all, trying to be strong enough to carry her ninth child. It was a success. She had given birth to a six pound, seven ounce baby girl she named Dominique Cherie Luzapone. She wasn't totally ready to forgive Nick and figured this baby girl was a present to herself. Maybe a little piece of her innocence she had lost, hence giving Dominique her maiden name.

"Can I come in?" Sam asks, knocking on the door.

"Sure, Sammy," she says with a big smile on her face. She pats the open space on the bed beside her to let Sam know he can sit beside her. He walks over with a big, stuffed pink elephant for Dominique.

"Awww, that's so cute!"

"I thought the baby would like it," Sam says sitting next to her and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"That was very thoughtful of you," she says kissing him back.

Sam notices that Carla hasn't stopped smiling. It was so good to see her happy again. He runs her hand through her dark, curly hair and cuddles up to her for a hug.

"Did you see her, Sammy?"

"Yeah, she's beautiful. You did a good job, Carla."

"Thanks, Sam."

"Awww, you're kids are always cute," he says letting go of her and looking at her straight in the eyes.

"I mean for everything, Sammy. I don't know what I would have done without you all this time. I mean, I've heard you say I saved you from yourself but I gotta say, you've saved me right back."

"Just paying it forward, Sweetheart."

"Carla, it's time to nurse Dominique," the nurse says carrying the baby into Carla's arms.

"Thanks, Jennifer," she says politely to the nurse. Sam smiles and nods to her, and then proceeds to check out her rear end as she walk away. He will never change. Carla smirks at him as soon as he looks back her way. She wasn't nursing right then, she was too busy adoring her new baby girl. Dominique's black hair and dark eyes had reminded Carla of when her beloved Ann Marie was a baby. For the first time she noticed that the thought of her deceased daughter didn't strike her with sorrow. In that moment, Carla LeBec knew she has been healed and genuinely blessed by God.

**That's all folks! Thanks to all the people who've read this and gone on this journey with me**

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